Several months had passed since Hanako had came to Suna. By now she had developed a rhythm. Mornings were strictly for paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork. She had a pile that never seemed to end. She almost regretted her choices.
Tuesdays and Thursdays was for teaching Taiga, Risa, and Soma. They had come so far compared to before. Hanako wasn't the best teacher. In fact, she sucked. She was the type to look at something and apply it. So teaching was entirely foreign to her. That was the downfall of being a genius..
Mondays and Fridays were for going to the hospital. There she was still continuing her training and getting in practice. The staff loved her. She picked up things quickly and helped them tremendously. For Hanako, she had learned most of the things they wanted her to do. So it was easy enough and she got in more experience under her belt. The staff often referred her to Lady Hanako, since she was an important figure. Hanako eventually got used to being addressed as such. She loved the staff. Sometimes, she would have the three come and shadow her. They enjoyed it. She also realized they were not able to pick up things as fast as she did, which meant she had to figure out a different way to teach them.
Wednesdays and Sundays were for physical training. She still had to keep up with it, in the scrolls, Lady Tsunade gave her, it told her she still had a lot to work on. It said she had to be able to dodge every attack and she would test her when she got back. Hanako understood why. If she got killed off, who would heal the others? Gaara often helped her out with that. They were sparring partners. Hanako enjoyed those days the most. She loved spending time with Gaara. They got along well.
Saturday was her rest day. She often visited the greenhouse and went to the library to read. This was when she made the children's training schedule for the week. Soon it was going to be time for her to actually start teaching them more medical sorta of things. Hanako was so not ready for that. Hanako racked her brain about her teachings. Then she realized most of it was reading and being forced to practice. Kabuto had been a harsh teacher, like everyone else in her life. He focused on her learning chakra control and studying for awhile. So Hanako figured she could start there.
Overall, Hanako was enjoying her time in Suna. She was reluctant to go back to the Leaf. Over here, everyone enjoyed her company, and she was always surrounded by people. It was a nice feeling. Mainly she just wanted to avoid the empty apartment back home. As it became closer to going home, she became more fidgety. It was noticeable to the sand siblings.
Temari and the boys were discussing who would talk to Hanako. They didn't know what was wrong. They just wanted to help.
"I vote Gaara to talk to her." Kankuro stated. Temari agreed with him.
"Me?" Gaara questioned.
"Yes. Haven't you noticed, she talks to you more?" Temari told him. Gaara thought back to it. She talked to all of them with enthusiasm. "She talks to all of us."
"She does, but she talks to you more. I mean you guys hang out so much!" Kankuro added. "Anyways, be a man and figure out what's wrong! It's weird seeing a Hanako who isn't focused." Then they pushed Gaara out the house to find her. Poor Gaara, he was to figure out what was wrong with Hanako. Normally she just told him what was wrong. So he didn't know where to start.
Since today was Saturday, he checked the Library. And he was correct. She had piles of books around her. He figured he'd wait after she was finish to talk to her. She was always so busy. Was it like this at the Leaf village? Maybe it had been too much for her to be an ambassador. It was a sight to see, someone as small as him, behind a big desk. Hours ticked by. She had no idea of the time that passed by her. He admired her for that, she did everything passionately. She wasn't like her brother, where his passion was loud, hers was subtle but still there. It was mesmerizing. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. It was like everything she shone. He could never tire of watching her. Finally when the library was about to close, she closed the last book. She looked up and noticed Gaara.
"Were you waiting on me?" She asked.
"Yes."
"How long did you wait?"
"Not long." Gaara told her. It didn't feel long to him. Hanako sighed in relief. They started to walk back home. Gaara carried the different scrolls she had been reading.
"Oh that's great. What's up?" Hanako asked. Gaara shrugged. He almost forgot why he was there. Looking at her she was fidgeting with her hair. She had begun to braid it, after seeing how much sand would get in it daily. It stopped the sand much better after being braided. Hanako had more respect for Temari after living here.
"Is there something wrong?" Gaara asked. Hanako stopped playing with her hair. She looked at him and he saw the different emotions flint by. Finally she sighed.
"Am I acting weird again?" Hanako asked dead-panned. Gaara nodded. "I thought I was doing well to hide. it."
"No. Temari and Kankuro noticed too."
"Ehh!? Seriously?" Hanako shouted. She smacked her forehead. She had been sure she was hiding it well.
"Yes. Do you want to talk about it?" Gaara asked. That's the thing about Gaara, he was learning how people interacted with one another. He didn't realize he was being blunt, but Hanako was used to it. She had been friends with Sasuke after all. He was hella blunt.
"I.. Am just.. It'salmosttimetogohome..." Hanako mumbled the last part quickly. Gaara heard it though.
"It's fine isn't it?" Gaara asked. Wouldn't a person be happier going back home instead of staying at a foreign place.
"I guess.. I just don't know. This place feels more like home than my actual home.. Maybe it's because I know Nii won't be home, but you and Temari, and Kankuro are here. It's so much fun spending time with you guys. It's so lively here. One of you guys are always home and it's rare when you guys aren't but even then there's people around who are always asking how I am. It's nice." Hanako explained to him. "Back home, I'm known as the pupil of a traitor and they expect me to do that too! Plus one of my teammates was a traitor.. My best friend was a traitor! I'm surrounded by traitors!" Hanako gasped in realization. "Of course they would expect me to betray the village. Because everyone around me did. But it's not like I asked them or knew they would!" Gaara stared at her as she ranted on and on. She became lively again. So he listened to her. "And maybe I'll smack Asato in the face if I ever see him. Like I need answers! Ugh. Just because we are twins doesn't mean we need the same experiences. You know. Sasuke left. Asato left first. So Sasuke copied Asato. Actually I don't know why Asato left, but Sasuke wanted to get stronger.. That's all we ever do. We train, get stronger, make more of a mess. This stupid cycle. I want to break it."
Gaara nodded. "I agree. The way the elders think is outdated. It's not weak asking for help or trying to get people to a common goal." Hanako looked at him in wonder. He thought just like she did!
"Exactly! If we could somehow end the petty wars and fights, and try to get peace everywhere then maybe this cycle could finally end! First we need a big position of power. Actually being an ambassador is helpful. But we need something bigger. Like a kage power." Hanako sighed. She didn't have that kind of power.
"I want to become Kazekage." Gaara told her.
"Really!? That's great! Wait. Since when?" Hanako asked.
"I've been thinking about it. I don't want to be just sitting around waiting, that will just cause more suffering and fear. I want to escape this path of loneliness. And so I have no choice but to work hard and make my own path. If I do that, then perhaps I can be like you and Naruto. That's why, as a shinobi of the Sand, I'll aim to be Kazekage. So I may be connected to my village. I want to work hard so that others can accept my existence. That's what I thought, when I see you and Naruto Uzumaki. My bonds with others have only been ones of hatred and murder. But, seeing you work so hard made me realize what what a bond really is. I think I understand a little more. Suffering.. Sadness.. And joy. To be able to share it with another person. Hanako Uzumaki.. When you healed me, I felt that that is what you taught me. There are no boundaries between these emotions. I was your enemy and you healed me. I who hurt the people dear to you, you accepted me and my past, my present, and possibly my future. And when I fought Naruto Uzumaki, I could feel that he experienced the same type of suffering as I. He taught me that you can change how you live your life. Someday, I want my existence to be necessary to others. Not as a weapon to be fear, but as the Hidden Villaage of the Sand's Kazekage." Gaara smiled. Hanako stayed quiet throughout his speech. She was stunned. Gaara held her in such a high regard. She smiled.
"I believe in you future Kazekage." Hanako smiled. There was no more need for words. In this moment it felt as they both understood each other better than before. With just a look, they knew what the other was thinking. Hanako smiled in a way that seem to say that they both would work together in the future for peace. Gaara realized this. He never thought in his wildest dreams that someone could end up caring like Hanako had. This was a friendship he never wanted to let go of. They both thought of this at the same time. They knew this friendship was special in a way that hadn't been before.
One random day, she got a random letter from Lady Tsunade. The contents were random as well. She was asked if she wanted to join the coming up chunin exams. Hanako looked bewildered. Teams of three were suppose to join, but she didn't have a team? Well Might Gai's team already had three? If she wanted to join she needed to sign her signature and send the letter back quickly. So she decided to ask Gaara about it whenever he came back from his mission.
Later that evening, Gaara arrived. Hanako looked up as he came in and giggled. Of course he would arrive tonight. His mission hadn't been that hard, just a random bodyguard mission that he did alone. Hanako showed him the note.
"Speaking of that, we're entering the chunin exams too." Gaara told her as he read the contents.
"You are?" Hanako asked shocked. She hadn't heard anything about this.
Gaara nodded. "The next chunin exam will be held at the village hidden by a waterfall."
"The village hidden by a waterfall!?" Hanako asked shocked. Gaara nodded. "It's been awhile since I last saw Shibuki!" Hanako smiled as she recalled fondly. It was one of those rare missions she had went with her Nii and his team. Gaara looked at her in question.
"He's a friend I made on a mission. I think he's the village leader now. I think I'll join. I wonder what team I'll be apart of?" Hanako questioned. Gaara shrugged. Hanako thanked Gaara and went to her room to reply back. Within the few days, she got a reply back. She needed to come back at least a month before scheduled. Hanako groaned. That meant she needed to start telling everyone. It was going to be a hassle. She only had two weeks left.
During breakfast, Hanako told them what was going to happen. Temari and Kankuro nodded in understanding. Gaara knew that was needed of her but he still felt a pang. He wouldn't see her daily anymore. It was nice to have her around.
Hanako got started on her paperwork. She was determined to finish all this a week before she had to depart! With that goal in mind, she worked non-stop. She even took her work home and kept on at it after her other priorities as well. When she broke the news to the kids, they groaned but wished her the best of luck. Hanako even told them she wouldn't even see them for seven months. So she worked on their training menu too. She would give it to Kankuro later on. Soma didn't want her to leave and blantly told her so. Hanako smiled and hugged him. Soma was shocked. Hanako rarely was touchy feely. That much he gathered in the months they've been under her.
The hospital was already aware that Hanako would be leaving after six months, so to their dismay she told she would be leaving a month early. They nodded and threw her a party. They let her go a week earlier than expected. Hanako almost cried from their kindness. Now her last week in Suna was completely free and she could explore to her heart's content. Finally after all this time she was actually going to put things in her bare room. It felt like a miracle.
Gaara and Hanako were completely inseparable during her last week in Suna. If you saw Gaara, there would be Hanako and vice versa. Hanako dragged Gaara all around town. She wanted to shop as much as she wanted. She had saved up a great bit. She was happy with her success. She and Gaara would star gaze at night. The week flew by so quickly. Temari and the boys, plus the children, all sent her off. Since this was earlier than planned, she would go alone without a bodyguard.
Walking back alone, Hanako had a lot of time to think. She still hadn't gotten a single letter from her brother! The nerve of that boy! She wondered if he was doing well? Or how his training was going. Hanako missed him a lot. She was so lost in thought that she accidentally ran into a person and fell. Hanako blinked. She ran into a person? On the way home? Hanako looked up and saw Sasuke!? She blinked. She blinked again.
"Sasuke?" Hanako said questioningly. She didn't believe the guy in front of her. He smirked and helped her up.
"Hanako."
"Yes?" Hanako asked him. She was at the edge of the border. She looked around. It was only them.
"It's been awhile." He said as if that explained everything. Hanako nodded.
"It has. You look like you're doing well." She commented. He looked healthy. He had also grown taller too. He was towering over her. She didn't like it. Then she remembered the injuries her brother came back from. In an instant she threw a punch and he caught it, surprised. Before he could talk, she aimed a kick at him. He was on defense and Hanako kept at it. He had gotten better. He was dodging her attacks like it was nothing.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"You! You're! The reason! Nii came back to us like that!" She shouted. "It's like you tried to kill him!" She kicked him hard and finally he slipped and was hit. Hanako stopped and slumped over. She just didn't have it in her after that kick. "Why.. why would you do that? Wasn't he your close friend?" Hanako looked at him. Sasuke was back on his feet and looked at her warily before getting closer.
"It's because he's my closest friend that, that happened." Sasuke said as if that answered everything. Hanako however did understand. To a certain extent. Sasuke just had to be mysterious.
"Friends shouldn't treat each other like that." Hanako chided him. Sasuke smiled wryly.
"Our friendship is different from what you and I had."
"How's that? You and Nii were like two peas in a pod. You guys got along better than we ever did!" Hanako shouted at him.
"Since when did you start shouting? Is it after hanging out with the Sand?" Sasuke said in distaste. He didn't like the rumors of Gaara and Hanako going around. He wanted to see for himself what was going on, but instead of spying, she had been leaving, so he couldn't help himself. He had to make himself known. The Hanako he had known back then wouldn't have ran into him. Back then she wasn't as trusting. Now she was different. He noticed that she no longer wore his gift. Instead she wore her hair in a long braid behind her back with her forehead protector acting as a bandana. Her clothes were still orange. But she was using black instead of purple like before. It hadn't even been that long since he left. Almost.. a year ago.
Hanako looked at him. She didn't know what she felt. She was happy to see he was still alive and then she remembered Asato. "How is he?" She asked. Sasuke knew who she was talking about.
"Quiet. He obeys Orochimaru without question."
"Figure out why..?" Hanako asked hesitant. Sasuke shook his head. When he arrived, Asato ignored him unless they had to spar. He never even looked his way. "Ahh! What was he thinking?"
"What are you going to do? He never leaves Orochimaru's side unless told to."
"Capture him. Make him spill. Slap him a few times. I dunno." Hanako sighed. She decided to lean on the tree. Might as well. Sasuke looked like he wasn't going anywhere. "So.. why are you here? Aren't you suppose to be training or something?" Hanako asked.
"I came to see how you were."
"Pfft. I honestly don't want to see your face." Hanako told him. She held a grudge. Sasuke shook his head. "I saw his clothes. You pierced his heart." Hanako told him. He looked at her surprised. "If he didn't have the nine tails fox in him, he would be dead." She continued. "That.. That's not what friends do."
"You wouldn't understand."
"I understand it had something to do with Itachi." Hanako sighed. Sasuke smirked. She was too smart for her own good.
"How?"
"I'm not sure but it reeks of you copying your brother. You have a brother complex don't you." Hanako finished. Sasuke didn't like her choice of her so he put his blade against her neck. Hanako didn't move. She wasn't afraid.
"Shut up." He growled.
"Just proves I'm right if you kill me." She said nonchalantly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed away his katana. "So you're learning the katana now. Cool." Hanako said unimpressed. Sasuke was still the same it appeared.
"Hn."
"You look proud. I'm guessing you figured out a way to use it with chidori." Hanako said. Sasuke nodded. "Well this was a fun chat, but I have to go back home. Unlike you or Asato, I didn't ditch my village for whatever reason and so they need me." Hanako said getting up. She was getting annoyed of Sasuke and she didn't understand why.
"Are you still going to help me against Itachi?" Sasuke asked. Hanako looked at him. She wanted to laugh, he almost killed her brother but he wanted her help to kill his brother!?
"Only if you'll come back to the village. You know Nii left the village to train. He doesn't want you to lose your body." Hanako told him.
"I won't lose my body. Once Orochimaru is done teaching me everything he knows, then I'll leave." Sasuke told her.
"Bring Asato back with you." Hanako told him. He looked at her like she was crazy. "My brother is an idiot. So obviously he's going to chase you with everything he has. I rather you just forcefully bring him back so I don't have to waste any effort on him." Hanako told him.
"Fine." Sasuke told her. With that Hanako went on with her journey. Sasuke trailed after her. They continued to walk back to the village. If it was that easy to have Sasuke back in the village, then Nii wouldn't have had a reason to leave.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Hanako asked curiously. It had been hours.
"No. I'm on a rest day."
"And so you're coming back to the village?"
"No."
"Oh. I knew it wouldn't be that easy." Hanako mumbled. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You're obviously not going to come back so soon. Else everything Nii is doing is for naught." Sasuke sighed.
"That loser."
"He's your best friend."
"What are you?"
"I'm Hanako Uzumaki."
"Tch." Hanako smiled at the preposterous situation. Sasuke had decided to travel with her until the last day. During that day they caught up on their lives, each were hiding things from one another. Sasuke hid the fact that he and Asato had been talking and Asato wanted nothing to do with the leaf. Asato had talked to him. There was no way he could disobey Sasuke. But Asato was troubled. He held a lot of potential and was actually better at swords than Sasuke was, so Asato had to teach Sasuke swordsmanship, per Orochimaru's orders.
Hanako was hiding her friendship with Gaara. Alarms in her head told her not to say anything about it. So she kept her mouth shut unless Sasuke asked directly, which he did at one point but she explained they were friends and that was it. She wouldn't go into detail about Gaara. It was like Hanako wanted this side of Gaara all to herself.
The last day, when Hanako knew she only had two hours to get to the gate, Sasuke stopped. Hanako had gotten used to Sasuke so she stopped too. She looked at him questioningly.
"It's time for me to go back." Sasuke told her.
"I see." She still didn't understand how this happened. Sasuke just shrugged. "Well bye." Hanako waved and started to walk but Sasuke trapped her between a tree and him. Hanako was staring at his shoulders. She was turning red. She really didn't like this contact and they were so close. "Sasuke?" She asked. Looking at Sasuke, he wasn't even looking at her. His head was turned and his ears red. They stayed this way in what seemed forever.
Sasuke sighed. "Is that all? Just bye?" Sasuke asked. Finally talking.
"Uhh.. Does there need to be more?" Hanako questioned. Then she realized. "OH! Thanks for walking with me." Hanako told him like she finally solved the puzzle. Since when did he need his thanks? Was he always like this?
Sasuke laid his head on her shoulder. "You.. are such an imbecile. You really are related to that dobe." Sasuke sighed.
"What!?" Hanako asked in shock. He had the nerve. Before she could say another word, Sasuke took another kiss at her lips. It happened so quickly, Hanako thought she might have imagined that happening.
"That's my reward for being your bodyguard." Sasuke said. Then he left.
"Bodyguard?" Hanako asked outloud. She didn't ask him to be a bodyguard?! Since when were kisses rewards? Wait Sasuke kissed her!? Her mind became overloaded quickly. She had to sit for a moment and gather her wits. Sasuke was definitely weird. She had money now so he could have asked for a proper reward. Did he still think she was poor? Hanako realized that maybe he didn't know she had a better salary and made money and he was just being thoughtful of her situation. So she just shrugged it off and went home.
Sasuke on the other hand, kept beating himself up. He knew he acted like a fool. A reward!? Couldn't he had thought of something better! He groaned. Hanako Uzumaki was an enigma to him. He smirked. So Gaara was just a friend. He had nothing to be worried about after all. He knew Hanako stuck to her friends like glue. She had with him, so Gaara was just his replacement, he thought to himself. He would allow it. After all Hanako was his. She had always been. Even now, despite the fight with Naruto, the brother she loved dearly, she still was okay with him. He did admit her kick hurt. She was strong. A good thing for baring Uchihas. Sasuke made himself blush again. Ugh. That would come later. First he needed to focus on getting stronger than Itachi.
Upon arriving at the village, Hanako visited home first. She was tired. The trip had been long. Nonetheless her journey wasn't over just yet. She still had to go see Lady Tsunade. Groaning, Hanako opened up a window. The apartment had gotten dusty with lack of use. She thought about making copies of the key to give to Temari, for when she had to be at Konoha. Free of charge.
She took a walk to the Hokage's office. Knocking she heard the muffled enter. There was Lady Tsunade swamped in work.
"Oh you arrived! Excellent. I'm excited. This month I'm going to personally teach you and I want you and Sakura and Ino to work together for the entire month. I'll be judging to see how well you guys work. So you won't have any other duties except to me. I know you've been on a free reign for most of your teachings with me, but now it's time to crack the whip."
"You said I have to work with Sakura and Ino?" Hanako asked.
"Yes I did. They will be your team for the chunin exams." Hanako nodded in understanding. Sakura and Ino were smart. "I'm excited at what you guys will accomplish together. I believe you guys will all pass." Tsunade told her.
"I will do my best." Hanako told her.
"That's what I wanted to here. I'm glad you're back. Shizune! I'll be back!" Tsunade shouted. Then she ushered Hanako out quickly. It almost appeared as if they ran away. Hanako didn't care.
"So what are we going to do?" Hanako asked.
"I'm going to see what all you learned from the scrolls. They were helpful weren't they?" Tsunade smiled. Hanako nodded.
They went into a clearing in the woods. Tsunade started asking her questions.
"What's the most important move for a medical nin?" She asked.
"Dodging." Hanako answered.
"Why is that?"
"Because if I die or get hurt, there will be no one else to heal the team and they might all die." Hanako answered. She had thought about it during her stay in Suna. The scrolls told her to learn more evasion moves and she had thought about it for days. Only when she imagined herself in a team with Temari and the boys did she get it. If she got killed then they could as well. There would be no one else to heal them. So she practiced over and over with Gaara.
"Good. Seems like you thought about it well. Now let me see what you have. I'll be going at it like it's a real battle." Tsunade said as she charged at Hanako. Hanako quickly moved away from her punch. The ground around them crumbled and she got out of the way quickly. Tsunade was relentless with her attacks. Because of all her hardwork, Hanako had almost no problems running away. Gaara had been a tricky opponent, he used sand. The desert was nothing but sand. So to Hanako, Gaara was worse of an opponent than Tsunade. The sun was setting and Lady Tsunade was satisfied. "That's enough for now. I'm glad you took the lesson seriously." She said in acknowledgment.
"I only did when I realized that my team could be killed if I got killed. I didn't want that so I trained hard for it." Hanako told her in earnest. Tsunade smiled.
"You're a good kid. Come back tomorrow and I'll have you train with the girls." Tsunade dismissed her. Hanako nodded.
Hanako went home and soaked in the tub. She was more exhausted than she thought she would be. She had been reluctant to come back earlier than expected, but she would meet with Gaara at the chunin exams so that made her happy.
She made it to the training. Tsunade was going to prepare them for the exam. Sakura and Ino were happy to see Hanako after a few months. They noticed her changes. They noted the change of her clothes. She was even wearing heels! Her shorts had gotten shorter even. Her kimono shirt longer. Then they noticed she put her scrolls in the sleeves.
Hanako noticed their changes too. Sakura's hair was growing out. So was Ino's. Their outfits were still the same. Hanako noticed she had changed the most out of the three.
"Good good. I want you guys to learn to work as a team. You guys are smart. I trust you will get along well. And I know this is very quick for a squad for the chunin exams but I have high hopes for you guys. Make me proud." Tsunade smiled. They all bowed.
"So what are we going to do?" Hanako asked.
"Good question. You are all studying medical nin. I want to see where you guys are at. We will do this one at a time. Alphabetical order!" Tsunade told them.
Sakura went first. She punched the ground in front and it crumbled.
"Nice." Hanako commented. Sakura smiled in happiness. She was happy to see it work. Tsunade nodded. "Hanako you're up."
Hanako nodded. She had practiced that move at Suna with Gaara. It had been in the scroll. Instead she did a chakra scalpel. She sliced a tree. Tsunade nodded happily. She hadn't taught that to Hanako but she could tell Hanako was good, just by the scalpel.
Ino went next. She didn't have flashy moves like Sakura or Hanako. So she did the normal mystical palm technique. Tsunade was happy with all her student's advancement.
"Well done. You guys have done well. I want you guys to spend time with one another until the chunin exams. Always remember, teamwork is key." She said. They nodded. Tsunade left them to themselves.
"Hey Hanako! It's been awhile hasn't it?" Ino laughed. Hanako nodded. She was tired.
"So what do you guys want to do?" Sakura asked.
"I would like to go home. I only arrived yesterday." Hanako told them. They realized this and were instantly on it.
"Go home. Take a rest! We can do teamwork exercises tomorrow!" Ino said. She shooed Hanako away. Hanako was grateful for the understanding females. She went home and instead of cleaning she went and took a nap. She was just exhausted.
Hey peeps! Sorry for the earlier AN. I was just feeling down in the dumps. It happens as we are people! I am happy to say that I am no longer a wanted criminal! XD
Minor details but nothing too bad. Technically it's not even my fault I was a wanted criminal. Blame society! Also I've been listening to Heather's lately. It's different than Hamilton and I see no resemblance between them and the schylur sisters. Anyhoo enjoy the story while I stop needlessly telling you things! -3-
R&R
Mwah!